Funky, cloudy & low intervention: 8 essential definitions to help you become a natural wine connoisseur

Natural wines have become incredibly trendy over the past couple of years. Their distinctive, funky aromas and cloudy looks have sparked quite a lot of debate in the winemaking world. I, for one, have been asked if ‘natural’ is the ‘craft beer’ of wine. Well, sort of, I’d say that natural wine is the new craft beer. My boss’ WSET sommelier described natural wine like ‘pineapple on pizza’… Some love it, some hate it. Yet, one thing is clear. Natural wine is becoming more popular and accessible day by day. Whether you are already familiar with it or rather intrigued by it, here are 8 essential definitions to become a natural wine connoisseur (and a natural wine jargon master, too).

1. So, what is natural wine exactly?

Let’s start with the obvious question: what is natural wine and how is it different from conventional wine?

Natural wine is wine produced through minimal intervention from the winemaker. Some refer to it as ‘raw’ wine or ‘low intervention’ wine.
Although it doesn’t have a clear definition, natural wine implies that it: